New Delhi: The ministry of environment, forest and climate change will prepare an integrated management plan for Chilika lake, Bhitarkanika and other wetlands in the country to conserve migratory birds.
The ministry has prepared an action plan for conservation of migratory water birds and their habitants along Central Asian Flyway (CAF) for the period between 2018 and 2023. The action plan is structured into six components – species conservation, habitat conservation and sustainable management, capacity development, communication and outreach, research & knowledge-based development and international cooperation.
According to the ministry, at least 370 species of migratory birds from three flyways (CAF and two others) reportedly visit the Indian subcontinent, of which 310 predominantly use wetlands as habitats, the rest being land birds, inhabiting dispersed terrestrial areas.
The ministry further said that integrated management plans will be developed for the wetlands based on a diagnostic evaluation of ecological, hydrological and socioeconomic and institutional features of wetlands, and their drivers of change within the relevant landscape and coastal zone.
A statement from the ministry said the objective of the national action plan is to halt and reverse decline of migratory birds and reduce pressure on their critical habitats. It also aims to develop the capacity at multiple levels to anticipate and avoid threats to habitats and species undergoing long term decline and to support trans-boundary co-operation to secure migratory bird species and habitats in range countries.
PNN